Cider Braised Pork

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This apple cider pulled pork is an easy dinner that fills your home with incredible fall aromas and delivers melt-in-your-mouth shredded pork. With just a few minutes of prep, your oven does all the hard work, leaving you with a deeply flavorful dish perfect for weeknights or entertaining.

Author: Kylie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 50 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Main Dish
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

4-5 pound bone in pork shoulder
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium/large yellow onions, sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, sliced
8 cloves garlic, smashed
3 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
15 fresh sage leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper

For Gravy

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups strained braising cider
splash of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
Kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 5 quart braising pan over medium-high heat.
Pat pork roast dry on all sides and season liberally with salt and pepper.
Add pork to the pan and sear on all sides until a golden brown crust forms. Remove and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium, add 2 sliced onions and 2 sliced apples to the pot along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
Add 8 cloves smashed garlic and cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.
Stir in 3 cups apple cider, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and a couple pinches of salt and pepper until well combined. Nestle 15 fresh sage leaves, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, and 2 bay leaves in the pan.
Nestle pork roast back in the pan and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
Place in the oven and braise for 3 hours or until the pork is fork-tender and falls apart easily. Flip meat halfway through braising if possible.
Remove from oven and let pork rest in the braising liquid (with the lid on) for 30 minutes. Remove pork, shred, and set aside.
Strain braising liquid into a large measuring cup, discarding apples, onions, and herbs. Let it sit for a few minutes, then skim the fat off the top.
In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter and stir in 2 tablespoons flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Slowly whisk in 2 cups strained braising liquid. Stir constantly and gently simmer over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until it thickens to your desired consistency. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar and a tablespoon of butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve pork atop a pile of creamy mashed potatoes and smother them in the homemade gravy. Enjoy!
If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review below!

Notes

Bone-in pork shoulder delivers the best texture and flavor.
Searing the pork first builds deep flavor. Don’t skip this step.
Letting the pork rest in the braising liquid keeps it moist and makes shredding easier.
You’ll know the pork is done when it shreds easily with two forks. If it’s not falling apart, it’s not done! Pop it back in until it shreds easily.

Find it online: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/apple-cider-pulled-pork/